Mechanical refrigeration



May 6, 1930. c. c. SPREEN I MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION Original Filed June 3 1926 2 She ets-Sheet l Charles C. Spreen Affo/weys y 6, 1930. c. c. S'PREEN 1,757,062

MECHANI CAL REFRIGERATION Original Filed June 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 -195 I Fig.6

1 Char-1?: QSpreen /n V? for /maw A xlorneys 14 0 end with a reduced extension 15, carryin the action of the refrigerant within the ex- Patented May 6 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

CHARLES C. SPREEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO KELVIIIATOB CORPORA- TION, OI DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN mncnamcax. nssmenna'rron Application filed June 3, 1926, Serial No. 113,472.- Renewed March 6,1930.

sion unit shown in end elevation in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a second form which my invention may assume,

Figures4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing a third form which my invention may assume, while Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a still further form which my invention may assume. i

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a refrigerator cabinet 11 provided with a refrigerating chamber 12 in which is "mounted, by means of a cradle 13 secured to the top wall of the refrigerator cabinet 11, an expansion drum the flooded type provided at its front on the end of this extension 15 inlet an outlet shut-01f valves 16 and 17 controlling the flow of refrigerant into and from the drum '14, containing means (not shown) for controllin the flow of liquid refrigerant into the rum 14,'and comprising also anenlarged section 18 serving as a header from which depend a plurality of looped expansion tubes 19 arranged with both ends. of eachtube connected to the header 18, with the tubes 19 encircling and supporting a plurality of vertically alined containers or sleeves 20 each adapted to receive a receptacle 21 for the production of artificial ice under ansion coil, andwith the tubes 19. diverging rom each other in the direction of extent of the header 18 and containers or sleeves 20 and over the entire-extent of the receptacles 21 and the formation of ice in the receptacles 21 occurs comparatively uniformly throughout the entire length of the receptacles 21 instead of being almost entirely confined to the penter portion of the receptacles as heretoore.

In Figure 3 I have shown a second form which my invention may assume similar in all respects to the form of Figures 1 and 2 except that for the straight inclined tubes 19 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 I have substituted tubes 22 diverging by means of offsets 23 provided just below the header 18 and then extending vertically throughout substantially the entire height of the ice receptacle means to evenmore completely spread the refrigerating action along the entire length of all of the receptacles 21.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have shown the general form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 applied to an expansion unit constructed for a refrigerating chamber 23 ,of greater width and less height than the refrigcrating chamber 12 of Figures 1 through 3, and comprising coils 24 extending .to a lesser distance below the drum 14 and to a greater and 5 except that it substitutes for the tubes 24 of the form of Figures 1 and 5 tubes 25 In Figure 6, I have shown a still further of the general contour of the form of my invention shown in Figure 3.

From the above description itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that I have provided improved expansion units. At the same time it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of 1 ing a header, pipe loops extending from said.

header in aligned relation, a sleeve within said pipe loops. said pipe loops extending adjacent one wall of said sleeve and arranged to contact thermally, therewith a greater distance than the shortest distance between the edges of said sleeve wall projecting transversely to the loops.

3. A refrigerant expansion unit comprising a header, tubes communicating with said header on opposite sides thereof, each of said tubes extending in a divergent direction relative to the-other of said tubes, and vertically aligned sleeves supported by and contacting with one side of each of said tubes,

' said tubes having a portion in thermal contact with and traversing said sleeves at an angle to the vertical axis. therethrough.

4. A refrigerant expansion unit comprising an elongated header, a plurality of conduits having end portions communicating with the header and having aligned portions disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof in a region bounded by planes parallel to said axis, said end portions and said aligned portions being distributed throughout unequal expanses of space.

5. A refrigerant expansion unit comprising an elongated header, a plurality of conduits having end portions communicating with the header and having ali'nged portions disposed transversely to the longltudinal axis thereof in a region bounded by planes parallel to said axis, said aligned portions being distributed throughout a greater expanse of space longitudinally of the header than the end portions.

6; A refrigerant expansion unit comprising aheader, a plurality of conduits having end portions communicating withthe header on opposite sides of a central vertical plane of reference and having aligned portions intermediate the end portions in a region bounded by parallel planes at one side of the header, said-end portions and said aligned portions being distributedthroughout unequal expanses of space.

7. A refrigerant expansion unit comprising1 a header, a plurality of conduits having en portions communicating with the header on opposite sides of a central vertical plane of reference and having aligned portions in-- termediate the end portions in a region bounded by parallel planes at one side of the header, said aligned portions being distributed throughout a greaterexpanse of space longitudinally of the header than the end portions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES C. SPREEN. 

